Bonus: Brain Trail Brings Awareness

Large brain sculptures scattered around the school might have seemed peculiar, but they served a concrete purpose. The sculptures were used by Stigma Free HSE, a club aiming to promote positive mental health and gain awareness for mental health issues.

“The brains help further our mission of education,” senior Ranvir Sandhu, the president of Stigma Free HSE, said. “If you look at [the brains], they have a little excerpt in front of them that describe what the brain is about. The brains also align with our goal of getting that conversation started because people really don’t know a lot about the brain. They teach us what our brains are like.”

Different brains represented different mental illnesses, illustrating what those mental illnesses look like through colors and designs.

“I thought the brains were put up to get people into neuroscience,” freshman Anthony Blinco said. “I thought it was pretty cool.”

“I thought it was for science purposes,” senior Haleigh Gray said, “to get a full visual when classes were learning about the brain.”

The sculptures were constructed at Butler University by a group of artists and given plaques featuring facts about the brain, as well as information about mental awareness. They were utilized previously by the city of Fishers for the city-wide Stigma Free campaign.

I heard a couple days before they were put up that they were for Stigma Free awareness,” senior Riley Huffman said. “When people told me there would be giant brains around downtown Fishers and at HSE, I had a tough time picturing them.”

The sculptures were used both out of school and in school to inspire curiosity about the brain, which controls everything from movement to keeping the heart beating. Within the next few weeks, they will be leaving HSE.

“The brains made me assume they were for an art class,” junior Olivia Randall said. “Although they caught my attention, I had no clue what the purpose of them was at first.”

The size and locations of the brains were placed strategically to draw attention from students. They were all located in common places, such as next to the Leonard Auditorium, outside of Café D and the commons outside of B hallway.

Through strategically placing the sculptures, Stigma Free’s aim for using the brains is fulfilled.

“I think the brains are a fresh and unique thing to see every day when you’re walking in the hallways and are an important reminder to keep your mental health in check,” sophomore Yashi Phougat said. “It raises awareness about mental health in our school and city.”